1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum chamber arrangement, a vacuum chamber comprising an outlet for connection to a pumping system, and a method of realizing a vacuum in a vacuum chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the semiconductor industry, an ever increasing desire to manufacture smaller structures with high accuracy and reliability makes great demands on wafer processing technology. In particular, it is important to maximize wafer throughput of wafer processing equipment while maintaining the lowest possible capital costs and operational costs, and without excessive use of floor space. Floor space in a semiconductor manufacturing environment is not only extremely expensive, but also requires high operational costs to maintain the required clean room conditions. In order to meet these requirements, it is desirable that lithography machines remain in operation continuously as far as possible.